The Basadur Simplex ®
CREATIVE
PROBLEM SOLVING
PROFILE
A METHOD TO HELP LEARN ABOUT ONE'S OWN
UNIQUE APPROACH TO HANDLING PROBLEMS
This is a research based instrument developed
from fundamental theory and empirical data from
a large sample of people working
in a broad cross section of organizations.
COPYRIGHT 1982, 1989, 1997, CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN APPLIED CREATIVITY, DR. MIN BASADUR
NAME : ___Marilynn Hawkins_______
DEPT.:__Business________________
JOB TITLE:__Teacher_____________
DATE:___February 20, 2004________
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING INVENTORY
This inventory is designed to describe your method of problem solving. The aim of the inventory is to describe how you solve problems, not to evaluate your problem solving ability. You may find it hard to choose the words that best describe your problem solving style because there are no right or wrong answers. Different characteristics are equally good.
Instructions:
Eighteen rows of four words are listed horizontally below. In each row assign a "4" to the word which best characterizes your problem solving style, a "3" to the word which next best characterizes your problem solving style, a "2" to the next most characteristic word, and a "1" to the word which is least characteristic of you as a problem solver. Be sure to assign a different number to each of the four words in each horizontal row. Do not make ties.
|
|
Column 1 |
Column 2 |
Column 3 |
Column 4 |
|
1. |
___2__ Alert |
___3__ Poised |
__4___ Ready |
___1_ Eager |
|
2. |
___1__ Patient |
__3___ Diligent |
___2__ Forceful |
___4__ Prepared |
|
3. |
___3__ Doing |
___2__ Childlike |
___1__ Detached |
___4__ Realistic |
|
4. |
___3__ Experiencing |
____1_ Diversifying |
___4__ Objective |
___2__ Eliminating |
|
5. |
___3__ Reserved |
___4__ Serious |
___2__ Fun-loving |
___1__ Playful |
|
6. |
____3_ Trial & Error |
___1__ Alternatives |
____2_ Pondering |
___4__ Evaluating |
|
7. |
___4__ Action |
_____2 Divergence |
____1_ Abstract |
____3_ Convergence |
|
8. |
___4__ Direct |
____2_ Possibilities |
____1_ Conceptual |
__3__ Practicalities |
|
9. |
___4__ Involved |
___2__ Changing Perspectives |
___3__ Theoretical |
___1__ Narrowing |
|
10. |
___3__ Quiet |
___4__ Trustworthy |
___1__ Irresponsible |
___2__ Imaginative |
|
11. |
___2__ Implementing |
____1_ Visualizing |
____4_ Modeling |
____3_ Decisive |
|
12. |
___4__ Hands On |
___3__ Future-oriented |
___1__ Reading |
____2_ Detail |
|
13. |
__4___ Physical |
___1__ Creating options |
____2_ Thinking |
___3__ Deciding |
|
14. |
__1__ Impersonal |
___4__ Proud |
____3_ Hopeful |
___2__ Fearful |
|
15. |
____4_ Practicing |
____2_ Transforming |
____1 Synthesizing |
___3__ Choosing |
|
16. |
___4__ Handling |
___1__ Speculating |
____2_ Fathoming |
___3__ Judging |
|
17. |
___1__ Sympathetic |
___4__ Pragmatic |
____2_ Emotional |
___3__ Procrastinating |
|
18. |
____4_ Contact |
___3__ Novelizing |
___1__ Impersonal |
_____2 Making Sure |
Totals ____54____ ____43_______ ____37________ _____46_____
COPYRIGHT 1982, 1989, 1997, CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN APPLIED CREATIVITY, DR. MIN BASADUR
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROFILE
|
LEGEND: |
Column 1
scores indicate the orientation to getting knowledge for solving problems by Experiencing.
(Direct personal involvement) 54 |
Post your total scores for each column on the appropriate axis below.
To develop your personal creative problem solving profile, simply connect the 4 points in sequence with 4 curved lines to make a distorted or "warped" circle accordingly. (if you have identical column scores, you will havea perfect circle. This is unlikely.) The quadrant in which your profile is most dominant indicated your strongest orientation. The other quadrants represent secondary styles accordingly. Your profile is your own unique blend of the four quadrants.
COPYRIGHT 1982, 1989, 1997, CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN APPLIED CREATIVITY, DR. MIN BASADUR
HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR STYLE OF
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
Each of us has a unique
blend of four styles of creative problem solving, as follows:
Quadrant 1: Generator
Generators prefer to use direct experience and ideation in
problem solving. They enjoy getting things started by getting
involved, gathering information, questioning, imagining possibilities, and
sensing all kinds of new problems and opportunities. Generators iike to view
situations from many different perspectives and are better at generating
options and divergence than at evaluation, selection or convergence. Generators
are interested in people's problems and see relevance in almost everything.
They can think of good and bad sides to almost any fact, idea or issue. They
dislike becoming too organized or delegating the complete problem but are
willing to let others take care of the details. A generator is a "string
saver": anything they happen across is a potential solution to a
yet-to-be-discovered problem. For generators, every solution suggests several
new problems to be solved. They revel in ambiguity and are hard to "pin
down." Interests: Problem Finding, Fact Finding.
Quadrant 2: Conceptualizer
Conceptualizers prefer to use abstract thinking and ideation in problem
solving. They enjoy putting ideas together and distilling
seemingly unrelated observations into an integrated explanation. They quickly
form relationships, associations and insights, define problems, and
conceptualize new ideas, theoretical models, opportunities and benefits.
Because of their desire to "understand" and to have the theory be
logically sound and precise, they don't want to proceed until after they have
developed a sound understanding of the situation or until the problem or main
idea is well defined. They would rather avoid prioritizing, implementing or
agonizing among good or iess-than-fully understood alternatives. They are
highly sensitive to and appreciative of ideas and are often less concerned with
moving to action. Interests: Problem Definition, Idea Finding.
Quadrant 3: Optimizer
Optimizers prefer to use abstract thinking and evaluation in
problem solving. They enjoy turning abstract ideas into practical
solutions and plans. They "mentally test" ideas
continuously. An optimizer functions best when there is a single correct answer
or optimum solution to a structured, defined question or problem. They can sort
through large amounts of data to pinpoint "what's wrong" in a given
situation. Relatively unemotional and thorough, they prefer to deal with things
rather than with people. They are quite confident in their ability to make a
sound, logical evaluation and select the best option or solution. Because they
believe they already "know what the problem is," they are often
impatient with ambiguity and dislike too much "dreaming" about
additional ideas or points of view or how different problems relate to one
another. Interests: Idea Evaluation and Selection, Action Planning.
Quadrant 4: Implementor
Implementors prefer to use direct experience and evaluation in
problem solving. They en joy getting things done -- carrying
out plans and experiments and trying out new experiences. They tend to
"try things out" rather than mentally test. Implementors excel when
they must adapt themselves to specific, immediate circumstances and "make
things work somehow." Because they do not require a complete understanding
before proceeding, they may favor risk-taking more than people with other
styles. When theory fails to fit the facts, they will probably discard the
theory. Enthusiastic and comfortable with people, implementors can appear
impatient or even pushy as they try to turn plans and ideas into realities.
They try different approaches until they find one sufficiently acceptable to
the people affected. They "follow-up" and "bird dog" as
necessary to make sure the new procedure "sticks." Interests:
Gaining Acceptance, implementation.
SIMPLEX™
TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
C0PYRIGHT 1981, 1996 CENTER FOR RESEAREH IN APPLIED CREATIVITY, DR. MIN BASADUR
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING STYLES
SIMPLEX™
TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
C0PYRIGHT 1981, 1996 CENTER FOR RESEAREH IN APPLIED CREATIVITY, DR. MIN BASADUR